That Night
by Alli Capri
Summary: AU. If Whitebrook never existed, what would Cindy's life have turned out like?
1. Part I

Part I

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It was getting close to midnight as Cindy Blake stared at the book in her lap, and then at the crumpled piece of notebook paper beside her. The paper was smudged with pencil and eraser marks, and wrinkled from being crushed in her fist repeatedly. She hadn't thrown it away yet, not from a lack of desire, but fear of her foster parents' wrath if they caught her wasting their money again.

Her eyes crossed and she closed them briefly before focusing on the book again. Cindy had decided hours ago that long division was evil, right up there with her foster parents and her case worker, Mrs. Lovell. Reading the book was useless. She would just have to figure the problem out alone, the way she did everything.

Her long blond hair fell in front of her face as she bent over the paper and started writing, but she ignored it, staring through the pale curtain like it wasn't there. Finally she finished, hoping it was right. The Hadleys insisted on perfect grades from their foster children despite the fact that they repeatedly told Cindy she was stupid and useless, and made her spend hours of every day doing all the barn chores. She closed her book and shoved all her school things into her ratty backpack.

"Are you done?" came a voice from the other bed in the room.

It was Cat, the nine year old girl that Cindy shared a room with. Cat, who looked just like one with her small, lithe body and large, bright eyes, was two years younger than Cindy and looked up to her like she was Wonder Woman. Cindy had taken a liking to the little brown-haired girl, who had lost her single mother to a drug overdose a few weeks ago, and tried to help her adjust to foster care. But Cat living with the Hadleys was like a butterfly caught in a spiderweb, and Cindy didn't know how much longer she could survive.

"Yeah, I'm done."

"Can we go to the barn, Cindy?"

Hidden by her hair, Cindy chewed her lip apprehensively. If the Hadleys caught them out there again…But Cat loved the horses so much and never got to see them, unlike Cindy who worked around them every day.

"Sure, Cat. Let's go right now." She opened the window above her bed and crawled out, sliding her body slowly over the sill until her feet touched the ground below. Cat followed and Cindy stood beneath her as always, guiding her down and catching her in her arms for those last six inches that she couldn't reach. Then Cindy closed the window from the outside so that the Hadleys would never figure out their escape route.

Silently they crept from tree to tree, staying in the shadows cast by the quarter moon, until they reached the barn. Cindy opened the door just enough to let herself and Cat inside and then closed it. There were five horses inside, three owned by boarders who paid the Hadleys for the use of the stable and pastureland at their small Lexington farm, and two owned by Mr. and Mrs. Hadley.

To those two they went. The horses, Lady and Brownie, woke and whickered to the girls, by now used to late night visits.

"Good girl, Lady," Cat said in the confident voice that Cindy only heard during these times. She was stroking the placid old mare's face, which she could only just reach. Cindy let Cat into the stall and helped her mount, gripping her left leg tightly as Cat swung her right over the gray mare's back. Lady twitched her ears, but otherwise was still, aware of the precariously balanced weight on her back. Cat squirmed into place and sat up, her head held high and proud and her hands resting lightly on Lady's withers. She smiled widely, a rare thing, and Cindy smiled in return.

When she was sure that Cat was secure and Lady was calm, Cindy went to the next stall and pulled herself up onto Brownie. Through the bars of the partition the girls could see each other, and an idea came to Cindy.

"Let's pretend we're famous jockeys, Cat. We're in the starting gate right before the Kentucky Derby."

Cat giggled. "Okay, who are we riding?"

Cindy thought quickly. Last year, in a stroke of luck, she had seen the Kentucky Derby on television when the Hadleys had gone out and left Cindy's teenage foster brother in charge. It was a treat she would never forget.

"I am riding Wonder's Pride, the first son of the legendary Ashleigh's Wonder," she finished loftily, mimicking the words of the commentators before the race. "And you are on Ultrasound, his top rival."

Brownie shifted beneath her, putting his weight on three legs and cocking the fourth. Cindy sighed.

"I think Wonder's Pride just fell asleep. Oh well. Are you ready to race?" Cat nodded. "Good. And we're off. Wonder's Pride takes the lead, Ultrasound right behind him. They're going down the stretch and coming for home. Ultrasound pulls even. They're neck and neck. But Wonder's Pride fights back. He's ahead by one, now two-"

"Two what?"

Cindy frowned. "I'm not sure…And it's Wonder's Pride to win the Kentucky Derby. Next stop, Triple Crown."

"What's that?"

"Only the three biggest races in the country."

"Did Wonder's Pride win them all?"

"I don't know. That's the only race I ever saw."

They fell silent. Cindy brooded for a moment, but tried to cheer herself up by pretending she was riding Wonder's Pride in the Triple Crown, about to win, his hooves pounding the dirt, every stride carrying them closer, she was raising her fist in victory…

Cindy didn't hear the footsteps until it was almost too late.

"Hide!" she hissed to Cat and slid off Brownie's back. She made it to the concealing shadows of the corner of the stall and curled up to make herself as small as possible. Through the bars she could just see Cat's terrified face, lit by the harsh beam of a flashlight. Cindy's chest tightened in fear.

"You!" Mr. Hadley shouted. Brownie started and backed up, his left hind foot coming down inches from Cindy. Lady was moving too, trying to avoid the frightening man. Cindy hoped Cat wouldn't be thrown off. Mr. Hadley lunged into the stall and Cindy saw him grab Cat's thin arm. Cat gave a cry of pain.

"I warned you about coming back here. You're going to a new home tomorrow! I've had it with you, you worthless, money-eating baby! Now where's Cindy?" He shook Cat hard and she started to wail. Her words were garbled by crying, but Cindy clearly heard "not here" and "alone."

Cindy felt sick. Cat was covering for her and was going to get it even worse for it, but Cindy could not make herself get up to help the girl. She put her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes tightly shut until she dimly heard them leave, Mr. Hadley shouting and Cat sobbing. Long after the barn door shut she sat, huddled against the wall and trembling, afraid to move.

She pictured Cat's face.

"Are you done?" Cat had asked, nervous and hopeful, wanting only a little joy in her sad life. That anyone could hurt such a sweet child, or any child, disgusted Cindy. She made up her mind and stood, brushing straw off her jeans. Fearful that Mr. Hadley would come back at any moment, she quickly left the stall and climbed the ladder to the hay loft. A couple of minutes of searching uncovered the backpack she had hidden there the last time Mr. Hadley had caught them in the barn at night.

She'd found it under her bed, a castaway from a previous child, and filled it with food filched from the Hadleys' kitchen, extra clothes, and the few possessions she had. The next day she had hidden it in the hay loft to wait for her until the time came. She would have run away immediately, but Cat had needed her.

Now Cat was going to a new home and there was no reason for Cindy to stay. The food would keep her going for at least a week, and her light jacket would keep her warm enough in the late spring weather. She put her arms through the straps.

"Yeah, I'm done," she decided. She climbed down, slipped out of the barn, and fled into the moonlit night, heedless of her own shadow, until she reached the dark safety of the woods behind the property. Weaving around the trees, Cindy walked until she could just see the lights of the Hadleys' house. Tears came suddenly to her eyes, welling up and falling down her cheeks.

"Good luck, Cat," she whispered. Cindy turned and didn't look back again.


	2. Part II

Part II

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The morning sun was weak as it shone through the heavy clouds that obscured the sky on the first Saturday in November at Churchill Downs. Hosting the best horses, jockeys, and trainers from all over, the famous Kentucky track buzzed with the anticipation of Breeders' Cup Day. Though it was still hours from post time, the crowds were already swelling. Excitement lit every face, save one.

Cindy Blake growled slightly as she hurriedly tied her blond hair back in a ponytail and shoved the entire mess under her customary baseball cap. For six years she had been working in Louisville, as a groom at Churchill Downs when it was open, and as a waitress at a restaurant in the off season, and she'd been happy. The money she'd made since getting her driver's license had allowed her to get a car and an apartment of her own as soon as she turned eighteen.

She had thought she was free then, from foster parents, case workers, and the demons of her past that finally were past. The four years on her own had been the best of her life, but now one demon was back, and it was surprisingly big for the small package in which it came.

Once her hair was secure again Cindy picked up the grooming box she'd been carrying and continued on to the stall of her charge for the day, a six year old gray gelding entered in the Turf. With strong, sure strokes she curried and brushed the gelding, making his dapple coat shine like polished silver. Her job was an easy one: keep him relaxed until two, when his regular groom took over. What the man was doing until then Cindy didn't know and didn't care. All she cared about were the double wages the gelding's trainer had offered her for half a day's work.

When the horse was half asleep and his coat was gleaming, Cindy slipped out of the stall quietly and closed the top door to let him rest. It was a good thing he was so calm, she thought. She doubted she could keep a highly strung animal relaxed in the state she was in. She chewed on one of her fingernails and winced in surprising pain. When she looked at her hands she realized she'd bitten her nails down as far as they could go. She fell into the chair outside the stall and put her head in her hands.

"I can't take this," she groaned to herself as anxiety gnawed at her stomach. Two months ago the news had come to her in the form of track gossip. A new star two year old was rising at the New York tracks with a young, previously unknown jockey aboard. The colt was Prince of Glory, out of the famous racemare Townsend Princess, sired by the legendary March to Glory, and trained by his half owner, the equally famous Ashleigh Griffen. The jockey was Catherine Finley, and together they were unbeatable.

The jockey's name had ignited a tiny spark of recognition, and the more Cindy read about the pair the more the spark grew, becoming a flame, a raging fire that threatened to consume her from the inside out if she did not discover the truth soon. She'd watched the telecast of the Champagne Stakes, Prince of Glory's next race, dreading what she might see and at the same time afraid of not seeing it. A close up of Catherine Finley did not dispel her suspicions, but could not confirm them either.

Then the colt had blown away the competition in the race and Cindy knew what would happen next. He would come to Churchill Downs, to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. His jockey would come as well, and Cindy could know for sure. For a month she had waited and fretted, old dreams resurfacing and new ones forming, none of them pleasant, all stemming from her worry over what would happen when the colt came, and what might happen if for some reason he did not.

Cindy had kept up with the news of the racing world obsessively, reading and listening for anything new on the colt. Finally Breeders' Cup Day had arrived, and Prince of Glory was entered in the Juvenile, free of injury and other problems. Only a few hours stood between Cindy and resolving eleven years of wondering.

Somehow those hours seemed to stretch themselves into eternity. At last the first race got underway, and there was only an hour left. Horses and people came and went as one by one each race was run. Two o' clock passed and Cindy started to pace, growling in anger at the groom. At two-thirty the gelding began moving around in his stall and Cindy checked on him, grateful for the distraction.

To keep him and herself calm she snapped a lead rope to his halter and took him for a walk. He was good company, offering an occasional snorted comment as she talked to him. They returned to the barn an hour later. The groom was not there and according to the other grooms he had not been by. Cindy's anger began to give away to panic. If he did not show up soon she would have to take the horse to the saddling paddock and the walking ring, and collect and care for him after his race. She would miss her chance.

It was already four, and Cindy was just about to take the gelding out when the wayward groom appeared.

"You're late," she snapped, shoving the lead rope into his hands.

"Hey, sorry," he said, putting his hands up in a show of peace. "I had some business to take care of."

"Sure you did. He's ready to go." Before he could reply, she was striding out of the barn.

Cindy tucked a couple of loose strands of hair behind her ear, brushed dust and straw off her jeans, and straightened her sweatshirt. She regretted being unable to go clean herself up, but the Juvenile had already ended and there was no time. No one noticed her as she made her way to the other barn, and no one saw her enter. She was just a groom; nobody was supposed to see her.

Prince of Glory's stall was empty and the aisle vacant. She found an inconspicuous place to stand and resigned herself to waiting for another interminable time before Prince of Glory returned. Finally the clatter of metal shoes on concrete told her he was coming. The big bay colt was the picture of perfect breeding as he walked toward her, led on either side by his groom and trainer, and followed by his jockey. Cindy stayed back as the colt was led into his stall, and went unnoticed as the trainer turned to the groom.

"I have to go check on Rain. I'll be back soon." She left and Cindy stepped out of the shadows. The jockey had her back to Cindy as she and the groom saw to the horse.

"Cat?" Cindy asked, amazed that her voice sounded so steady, even as her heart pounded in her chest. The jockey turned, startled. Her brown eyes narrowed.

"There are few people who call me that and you are not one of them." Cindy clenched her hands into fists nervously.

"I think I used to be. I'm Cindy, Cindy Blake." Slowly the look on the woman's face turned to one of recognition.

"My God, Cindy. I never thought I'd see you again."

"I guess it's a good thing you're famous," Cindy said, smiling tentatively. Cat returned it, putting Cindy at ease.

"Guess so. How have you been since…then?"

Cindy shrugged. "All right. I'm working here and living well on my own. You?"

"Can't complain." She turned back to stroke Prince of Glory's golden neck. "Glory's the best thing that ever happened to me. Come meet him." Cindy stepped closer, holding one hand out to the colt. He pricked his ears and sniffed her hand eagerly, pressing his nose into her palm and moving his lips as if searching for something. "He wants a treat, my spoiled rotten baby."

"He's marvelous. I missed the race, did he win?"

"Sure did. By two lengths." There was a long pause. "They told me you ran away. That's all they ever told me."

Cindy stared down at her dusty shoes. "I did run away that night. The police caught me two weeks later and Mrs. Lovell sent me to a home for problem children in Louisville." She said nothing of how exhausted she'd been when the police had picked her up, how sick with cold and hunger, but Cat seemed to have guessed. "It wasn't a bad place. They treated me good and we still keep in touch."

Cat nodded. "I went to another home too. My parents adopted me after a year and then we moved to New York. I work for a New York stable now, riding their horses."

Silence descended. Cindy chewed on the inside of her lip, looking anywhere but at Cat. Slowly she gathered her courage and lifted her head to meet the jockey's eyes.

"Cat, I have to tell you something, something I wanted to say for a long time. I-"

The trainer returned and Cindy felt her resolve waver. She twisted her fingers in the fabric of her sweatshirt, her gaze darting from Cat to the trainer and back. Cat understood.

"Let's take a walk," she said, putting a hand on Cindy's arm. "Back in a bit," she called over her shoulder, and guided Cindy from the barn.

Cat chattered soothingly about Prince of Glory and his history as they walked. Cindy followed mindlessly, spooked by the crowds of people being so close when she felt so vulnerable. At last the crowd thinned and they were clear, the parking lot where Cat had brought them full of cars, but empty of people.

Cat stopped by a bright red, brand new Corvette. She clicked a button on her keychain and motioned for Cindy to get in. Cindy sank into the soft leather seat and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Nice car," she said, stalling for time to collect herself again.

"Thanks, but it's a rental. They're much too expensive and not at all practical in winter, but I like to splurge on the road. I've got a sturdy little Escort at home. Now, what did you want to tell me?" Cat asked softly.

Cindy plucked at a stray thread on her leg before answering.

"That I'm sorry. I ran away that night and left you all alone. I tried to tell myself it was best. You were going to a new home and I didn't want to go back there. But later I started to wonder, what if you hadn't been sent to a new home? What if you were still there and I had run away and left you, just like when I hid in the stall. I wanted to help you then, too. I always wanted to help you, but I was too scared. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

Cat looked pensive. "I thought about it for a long time as well. You know what I decided? I decided that what happened that night was meant to be. Because of it we both got out of there. I'm happy with my life now. Are you?"

Cindy wiped a single tear off her cheek and sniffed. "Yes."

"If you really need it, Cindy, you have my forgiveness, but I hope you will come to see as I do. What we did that night saved us both."

When she got out of the car the sun seemed to shine brighter than it had all day. One demon had been vanquished and she felt lighter for having lost the burden it had placed on her all these years.

Cat locked the car. "Well, I've got to get back to Glory. Are you coming?"

"No, I think I need a nap. I'm going home." Cat smiled, the same as Cindy remembered.

"Look for me and Glory next year. We're already thinking Kentucky Derby."

"I'll be sure to see you then." Cindy watched as Cat headed for the shed row, weaving her lithe body through the sea of vehicles.

"Good luck, Cat," she whispered, and turned to find her car.


End file.
